The Kroot Corporation
2915 State Street , Columbus, Indiana, United States

Over the years The Kroot Corporation has earned the reputation of having a high quality, service oriented scrap yard and steel warehouse.Our customers - many of whom have had a long term business relationship with us - have come to expect the fair prices and quality materials that are the result of an efficient and well run operation.Good reputations take many years to build... and The Kroot Corporation has quite a history.A century ago Joseph Kroot, an immigrant from Poland, began an early version of the business in Indianapolis. In 1900, he bought some land in Edinburgh, Indiana where he dealt in iron, rags, rubber, metal, hides, tallow and wool using a horse and wagon to haul salvage materials from surrounding areas. In 1907, Mr. Kroot moved his operation to Columbus, Indiana and as the Twentieth Century progressed, the business kept pace.The 1920's saw the business expand to include processing as well as collecting materials. The use of the Model "T" truck and the addition of a railroad car loading track pit enabled a better distribution of scrap and a wider collection area.In the 1930's Joseph Kroot's three sons - Abe, Ben and Sam - came into the business. With the 1940's and World War II, Kroot's scrap yard, like many industries across the nation, was forever changed. Due to war production, the yard's operations became mechanized; in effect it became an outdoor factory. It was at this stage that the Kroot Corporation developed the different divisions - ferrous, non-ferrous, new steel and paper.After World War II the Kroot Corporation was well established as a service industry both to the manufacturing plant and the end-user factory or mill. The growth of the business continued into the 1960's when grandsons Joe and Arthur Kroot became the third generation to join the Kroot Corporation. By 1965, the business had outgrown its location in innercity Columbus and a new yard was built at our current site at 2915 State Street. In 1995, Josh Kroot continued the tradition of family ownership into its fourth generation.Because we understand the value of a solid reputation among our customers, employees and community, the Kroot Corporation is dedicated to maintaining and enhancing the high standards that earned us this position over the past century.

The Yard

When scrap material arrives at the Kroot Corporation it is first weighed and then categorized according to its composition (ferrous or non-ferrous) so that we can determine where it should be placed.In order to be as accurate as possible when weighing materials, we use scales sensitive from one-half ounce to an electronic truck scale that weighs up to 120,000 lbs. and a railroad scale with a 400,000 lb. capacity. And we utilize radiation detection equipment at the scales to ensure that materials purchased are free of radiation contamination.Two operations that take place on a regular basis at the Kroot Corporation scrap yard are baling and shearing. In the baling process large scrap items are loaded by crane into the baling press and are compressed into cubes. The bundles are then purchased by steel mills in northern Indiana and the Upper Ohio Valley to be used in the production of new steel.In the shearing process pieces of scrap are loaded by crane into the hydraulic shear, which chops the steel into sizes that are popular with our foundry customers. After the sheared steel is purchased it can be easily remelted to be used in the manufacturing of grey iron castings.The distribution and transportation of scrap materials are vital to the operation of the Kroot Corporation. Currently, we utilize a fleet of 34 trucks. This fleet is comprised of several different types of trucks to accomodate a variety of operations. We use roll-offs, luggers, van trailers and dump trailersWe significantly enhance our ability to transport materials through the use of our own railroad car switcher. Unlike other smaller operations, the Kroot corporation has the capacity to load up to 12 railroad cars per day on one mile of our own track.

Structural Steel Sales

The Kroot Corporation Structural Steel Division was established with a commitment to personalized service for our customers. We believe that every customer is our most important asset. Our service is all inclusive, serving the southern Indiana area, Industrial, Commercial, and Small Business Accounts as well as the general public. No order is ever too small that's why walk in customers are always welcome.In April of 2009 we opened our new 25,000 square foot state of the art climate controlled warehouse. This has allowed the expansion of our inventory of structural steel to be purchased from steel mills directly, increasing our buying power. In turn this allows us to pass along the cost savings to our customers.With customer service always at the forefront we strive to find ways to help our customers in many ways such as logistics, cost savings and special orders. Continuing education and years of experience for our staff makes them extremely knowledgeable. When you buy from the Kroot Corp. you can count on a quality, dependable product with exceptional customer service.

Environmental Responsibility

Now in our second century of operations, The Kroot Corporation continues to honor our commitment to environmental protection. Our facility strives to not only comply with federal and state environmental requirements, but to exceed them. We are an environmentally safe facility with an ongoing program to meet or exceed all federal guidelines. Our main concern is the responsible handling of all types of scrap.

Special Handling of Scrap
In 1997, a 12,000 square foot building was constructed to house all turnings and other oily materials. The building is constructed to allow us to separate and collect oily fluids from scrap materials. We ensure that the collected fluids are disposed of in accordance with state and federal regulations. This system greatly reduces the potential for environmental impacts from our operations.Throughout the past decade we have continued to make investments in projects that protect the environment, including the installation of storm water management systems. Our underground storm water tank systems allow for the collection of trash and debris, the settlement of dirt and solids, and the separation of any oils, fuels, or greases before storm water is discharged. Our storm water management systems are inspected routinely and clean-outs are performed frequently.

Cleanliness
The Kroot Corporation strives to maintain a clean and safe facility. Non-ferrous materials are predominantly stored inside buildings. All materials that are processed outdoors and materials in the Ferrous Yard are sorted and stored on concrete pads and/or in concrete lined bins. This allows for easier cleaning of storage areas and prevents materials from impacting the soil. The Kroot Corporation's environmental staff and upper management conduct frequent and routine inspections of the entire property and all operations. All environmental inspections, monitoring, and reporting are conducted in compliance with the facility's environmental permits and written programs.